Wire-wrapping machine.



' No. 824,171. I

PATENTEDJU'NE26', 1906.

A.-G. GHALMPLIN.

WIRE WRAPPING MACHINE. I APPLICATION FILED MAR.15, 1905.

2 SHEETS SHEET 1.

plish by the construction shown 1n the accompanying drawings, in which- No."824,1 71. v I v Y f Applicationfiledllaroh16,1905-Saria1No.250,292-' PATENT ()FF ALEXANDER CHAMPLIN, [or eR Ni) RAPIDsMIoHIeAN; ASSIGNO'R OF I ONE-HALF TO ,VFRANKA'. slum-1,. or GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

I WIRE-WRAPPINGMACHINE-- To. all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatiII, ALEXANDER G.CHAMr-' I LIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Ra ids,in the county of Kent and State of Mic igan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Wire-WrappingMachineg of which the following is'a specification. I l I This invention relates to new and useful improvements in devices for wrapplng a wire with protecting or insulating cord or tape;

' and its object is to permit'such' wra ping to be accomplished eflici'ently and rapic ly upon an endless wire.that is, without access to either end of. the wire. This object I accom- Figure, 1 is a side elevation of the device resting upon the wire and in (iperation. Fig. 2 is a top view of thesame. ig. 3 is a longi-v tudinal cross section of the same in contact,

with a portion of the wire. Fig. 4 is a plank view from the bottom of the same part shown in Fig. 3 and resting upon the Wire. Fig. 5

is an end plan of the plate and attached parts,

' taken from the left of Fig. 1; and Fig. 6 is, a

' the nut It? shown by Fig. 5.

side elevation and section of the same parts A "s a cylindrical orother shell adapted to surround the wire. B is an interior core for this shell and upon whichthe shell Amay re-. volve.

Thes'hell A carries at one end the beveled gear (1- This shell is held in position upon its contained core at one end by the enlarged portion of the core B, forming a re taming-shoulder, and at the-other end by the retaining-nut 'R','detachab1y secured to the central core. Itis thus apparent that the shell A and the parts which it carries may be revolved upon the core B and will befirmly held in the pro er revoluble position, but may be remove when desired by-removing 'A longitudinal slot B is provided, extending through the shell A and approximately to z the axis of the core B and gear 0. It is evident, that when the shell is mproper position the slot therein will register with the slot in the underlying core,'and there will therefore be one continuous'slot through which the entire device may be dro ped upon the body of )ut ongitudinal' sliding motion'of the ,enlarge 7 v .and cran E. Obviously turning the crank E will cause the shell to revolve upon the in dle O. (Shown in Patented June 26, 1906..

device upon the wire-is not obstructed, nor isrevolution of the shell and its attached partsprevented. This shell may be revolved in any convenient manner; but I have shown,

for that (purpose, permanently attached to the ortion of the core, abeveled gear D terior core and wire. v

For convenience in holding the device and moving the same I rovide 9. depending han- Figsl and 2.) By constructing this handle of pro er size and' I weight it will also serve as a ba ance to keep the device in its proper upright position on thewire. v

Isupply cord, ta e, 'orother'insulating or protecting materia' to the device fromflany suitable source. I have shownin the drawings for this purpose a double reel F F, bothparts of which are journaledupon a transversepin and one part of which, serves as each of these reels is wound the insulating material H. The reels are prevented from too rapid rotation by friction-springs dependsome other suitable counterbalance. The pin which carries these reels is'rigidly attached to the shell A and revolves therewith,

a proper counterbalance to the other part." Upon 'mg from cross-bars G G and retarding the revolution of .the reels. If only one reel is used, it will be found convenient to provide so that as, the device is in .operation the reel carrying the winding materlal is being constantly revolved continuously in one direc tion around the wire.

Attached-to the shell betweenthe reel and the adjacent end of the device is'the plate I, shown in its edge elevation inFig. 6. This may be attached to theshell as desired. I

have shown an attachment in 1 by an angle-plate P, screwed to both parts, but offset from the nut R, so'a's not to lnterfere with the revolution of the shell. The sliding plate K moves longitudinally ofthe plate I and is held in sliding contact therewith by a suitable 0 ening' in the upper bent portion of the plate which forms a guide or the upper portion of K and'is further held in such s iding contact bythe guides L L, which are'attached to the plate I, but project out over the edges of.plate K, permittingsuch sliding longitudinal motion. The upper part of sliding plate K is in theform of a post, as shown I in Figs. and 6, and carries a tension-spring (shown in Fig. 5 by K) in order to create an elastic downward pressure by plate K when the parts are in the position shown by Fig. 5.

A central slot in the plate K- engages a projecting pin S, attached to plate 1, thereby limiting the motion of the sliding plate u on the fixed plate. The lower end of the sli ing plate K is bent forward, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so as to form a pressure-foot bearin under spring-tension against the wire N and eld in constant contact or in constant tendency to contact therewith. From this plate and spring-pressure foot provide a downwardly-projectingpin orlugM. (Shown in Figs. 1, 5, and 6.) This passes downwardly at one side of the wire and in approximate contact therewith.

I operate my device as follows: I first cause the slots in the shell and in the core to register. I then place the device upright upon the wire to be Wraf ped. I then thread the wrapping material f fom the reel through a suitable eye I in the plate I and downwardly through a suitable eye J in or at the side of the pressure-foot and then attach the end of the wrappin material to the wire. I then cause the she I and the parts which it carries to be revolved, and thereby the wra. ping material is radually unwound from t a reel and is spirally wrapped around the wire. The action of the pressure-foot prevents the material from being wrap ed upon itself and insures that the windings all be spiral.

I may give the device lon itudinal motion upon the wire by any desire feed; but I find that for ordinary urposes the action of the wrapping materia itself under the tension of the sprin -pressure foot and in connection with the spending lug M, which crowds the wrapping material as coiled back upon previous coils, and thereby moving the device forward upon the wire, constitutes a sufiicient feed. If two strands are used, as

shown in Fig. 2, a double wra ping will result, both strands being woun 1n the same direction.

Q indicates the insulating material which has been wound upon the wire. It is evident that by the construction shown the point of contact or winding of the insulating material u on the Wire is in the revolving motion of t e device always just ahead of the depending lug M and that this lug therefore makes contact continually with the end of the coil of insulating material just after its application to the wire. Thus the entire dev1ce will be constantly fed or carried to the right as represented in Figs. 1 and 6, and the feed becomes automatic.

The slot in the core should be of ap roximately the same sizeas the wire whic it is to receive, since if the slot was much larger. than the wire, resulting in looseness or play, the operation would be injuriously affected.

Since the core and the shell are made separable, it is evident that one core can'be removed and another core containing a larger slot can be inserted if it is desired to wrap a larger wire, this adjustability being limited olililjfi by the size of the slot'provided in the se This device being adapted to be dropped upon the wire from above, it rests or rides upon the wire throughout its entire len th, permitting an easier and more perfect i eed than if it was hooked upon the wire from below at one or more points, and this feature of construction makes the heavy depending handle 0, as well as in some cases the 0 pcsitely-dis ose'd reels F F, serviceable as alances an counterbalances to assist in maintaining the device in position automatically, and thereb assisting in accomplishing the automatic feed.

I prefer to make the late I adjustable with reference to the she I, as indicated in Fig. 1, so that I may better accommodate the device to different sizes of Wire or thicknesses of wrapping material, although the action of the sprlng will effect such accommodation within certain limits. By the use of this device I can wrap a Wire for protection or insulation and with any common wrapping material and can do the same very rapidly, evenly, and firmly and without any cutting of the wire, applying the wrapping material at any desired point. The entire device is easily portable and can be used by linemen or repair men at any place and at any time.

Evidently the shape of the eyes through which the wrapping material passes and, to some extent, the shape of other parts in contact with the wrap ing material should be accommodated to t e sha e and size of the wrap. ing material, whet er the same be roun or flat, lar e or small.

It is obvious a so that the rnethodof producing revolution, the method of carryin the wrapping material, and many other 0 the features shown are not essential to the operation of the device.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim to have invented, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

-1. In a wire-wrapping device, a central wire-contacting core a revoluble shell surrounding such core, both core and shell provided with a longitudinal wire-receiving slot extending the entire -len th of the device, means for revolving the s ell upon the core, means carried by the shell for supplying wra ping material and for leading the same to t e wire a pressure-foot carried by the revoluble s ell, parallel with the wire, for revent-in the material from winding upon ltself, an a projection carried by the pressure-foot extending transversely to the wire and making contact with the wrapping ma- IIO the wrappi the wire an terial at a point behind the point of a plying the wrapping material to the wire, w er e. by the wrapping material. is wound spirally upon the wire and the device is automatically fed along the wire. v v r I 2. In a wire-wrapping device, a central wire-contacting core, a revoluble shellsurrounding such core, both core and shell pro-. vided a longitudinal wire r'eceiving slot, means for revolving the shell uponthe core, means carried the shell for supplying wra ping material and for leadingthe same to t e wire, apressure-foot carried by the revoluble shell, parallelwith'Whe wire, for preventing the .material fronr'winding upon -1tself, ,and a projection carried by the pres sure-foot extending transversely to the wire and making contact with the wrapping'maint of applying the wrapping material to t e wire, whereby materialis wound spirally upon the device is automatically fed along'the wire. "1 I 3-; In a wire-wrappi'ng device, a central -wirecontacting core having at one end an annular enlar ementforming a retainingshoulder, and aving at the other end a pro:

jection forming athreaded'bolt, a removable and revoluble shell surrounding said core, a retaining-nut upon such bolt projection, said shell provided with a longitudinal wire-receivingslot extending from one side ap roximately to the center of core,=shell' an nut, means fofrrevolving the shell upon the core, means carried by the revoluble shell for supplying wrapping material, and means for guiding the wrapping material to the wire. T

4. In a wire-wrapping device, a central wire-contacting core, a revoluble shell sur rounding such core, bothcore and shell provided with a longitudirialwire-receiving slot extending the entire length of the device, means for revolving the shell u on the core,

means carried by the shell v or supplying wrapping material and for leading the .same

to t e wire, a sp -actuated pressure-foot carried-by the revo uble shell, resting upon I the material; which has been wound and extending over; the pointof winding, and a pro jectioncarried by the pressure-foot transverse to the wire, making contact with the wrappingmaterial which has been wound and automaticallyfeeding the'device along the wire.

- 5. In a wire-wrapping device, a central r wire-contacting core, a revoluble shell surrounding such core, both core and shell provided with a longitudinal wire-receiving slot extending the entire length of the device,

' ply of wire-wrapping material and counter-' alancing each other, means for leading the wrappingv material to the wire, a pressurefoot carried by the revoluble shell and parallel to the wire, and means whereby the wind+ ing of the wrapping material automatically I feeds the device along the wire.

6. In a wire-wrapp ng device,. a central, wire-contacting core, a revoluble shell sur-v rounding such core, ,both core and shell provided with a longitudinal wire-receiving slot extending the entire len th of the device, means for revolving the shell upon the core,

means carried by the'shell for supoplying wrapping material, a plate carried y the revoluble shell and provided with an eye for receiving and leading the wrapping material, means for adjusting such plate upon the shell to and from the wire," and means whereby the winding of thewrappingmaterial automatic- I ally feeds the device along the wire.

7. In a wire-wrapping device, a central wire-contacting core, a revoluble shell Slll'r rounding such core, both core and shell provided with a longitudinal wire-receiving slot extending the entire ,len th, of the device, means for revolving the s ell upon the core,

means carried by the shellv for supplying wrapping material, a plate carried by' the revoluble shell-and provided with an eye for receiving and leading the wrapping material, j

a s ring-actuated pressure-foot slidably attac ed to said plate, an eye in said pressure- 7 foot for leading the wrapping material, and a projection -making constant edge contact with the coil of material wrapped upon the wire, whereby said material. is spirally wound In testimony whereof I have hereunto. set

I O0 and the device is'automaticallyfed along the Y .wlre.

my hand in presence of two subscribing wit- 

